Internal-combustion engine.



H. C. MELVIN. INTERNAL CMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II. ISI?.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

I I I t .IF I IJLII. T..

IN VENTOR Henry L'. Meh; l.

WITNESSES:

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A'rrnnnmvn HENRY C. MELVIN, F COARSEGOLD, CALIFGBNIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specilcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

Application tiled April 11, 1917. Serial No. 161,301.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that 1, HENRY C. MELVIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Coarsegold, in the county of Madera and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Internal-CombustionEngines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention.relates to an internal combastion engine, andparticularly to a valve mechanism for the same.

The object of the present invention is to rovidc a simple, substantialcheaply manuactured, easily-a plied valve mechanism foropening theexliaust valve in an internal combustion en ine and particularl' amechanism in whicl the cam shaft an the connected two-to-one earsusually employed may be entirely eliminated. Further objects willhereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference vto the accompanying drawings, 1n which- The figure is a sideelevation, partly in section, showing the application of the invention.

Referrin to the drawings in detail, A indicates tie cylinder of anengine, 2 the piston, 3 the crank shaft, l1 the connecting rod, 6 thespark plug, 7 the inlet valve and 8 the exhaust valve which, in thisinstance, will be operated by the mechanism which forms the subjectmatter of the present application.

Secured upon the outer end of the crank shaft is a cam 9 and mounted inalinement with the cam and guided by bearing brackets 10 is a lifter rod11. Mounted in alinement with the rod 11 and supported in a bearingbracket 12 is a second lifter rod 13 which engages the outer end of arocker arm 11 pivotally mounted, as at 15, upon the cylinder and sopositioned as to engage and operate the exhaust valve 8. Pivotallymounted, as at 16, in a collar 17 secured'on the upper end of the rod 13is an arm 18, and formed on the lower end of said arm is a projectinglug 19 which is adapted to serve as a liller or spacing block betweenthe rods 11 and 13 as will hereinafter be described. Secured in one sideof the cylinder is a valve cage 20 and slidably mounted in said cage isa rod 21 on the inner end of which is secured a valve 22 while the outerend carries a collar 23 through which the arm 18 freely passes. Thevalve 22 is actuated by pressure within the cylinder and when soactuated moves outwardly in the direction of arrow a, in this mannerswinging the arm la) about its pivot 16, thereby causing the spacinblock 19 to move into alinement between t e rods 11 and 13. Pressureformed by ignition of the combustible gases admitted to the cylinderswings the spacing block into posltion between the rods 11 and 13, whilethe spring 24, secured upon the collar 17, engages the arm 18 and forcesit, together with the spacing block, the collar 23, the stem 21 and theva ve 22, inwardly or in the op osite direction. Secured on the up er enof the rod 11 and insulated there rom is a contact member 25 andsimilarly secured on the inner side of the spacing block is a contactmember 26, which is connected through a. wire 27 with the spark plu 6. Awire 28 is connected at one end witl the contact 25 while the oppositeend is connected with a battery or other suitable source of currentsupply, not here shown.

The operation of the exhaust valve lifting mechanism will be as follows:The cam 9 is set in alinement with the webs of the crank shaft and willtherefore assume its highest position when the piston is u and itslowest position when the piston 1s down. Assuming that the piston hasalready drawn in a charge of combustible mixture and that the pistonmoves in an upward direction to compress said charge, it will then beseen that the cam 9 will turn into a position where it will engage theroller 30 on the lower end of the rod 11 thereby lifting it, togetherwith the rod, against the tension of spring 31 in an upward direction.This upward movement will not aect the exhaust valve 8, as there is notsufficient pres sure in the cylinder to force the valve 22 inwardly whenthe piston commences its upward movement. The upper end 0f the rod 11will therefore pass beyond the spacing block 19 and will therefore holdthe arm 18 and the valve 22 in the position shown, while the pistontravels upwardly to compress the charge. Sufficient movement of .thevalve is, however, permitted when the charge is compressed to move thearm into engagement with the upper end of the rod 11, thus causing thecontacts to engage and complete the circuit through the plug which willignite the charge.

The piston will thus be driven in a dowii- Ward direction and the caniwill also travel to assume its lowermost position when the pistonreaches the lowermost position, `thus separating the rods to a pointwhere the spacing block is permitted to enter, it being understood thatthe pressure of the burning gases is sufficiently great at this timeperiod to force the valve against the seat and thereby move the spacingblock into position -between the rods. An upward movement of the pistonwill then take place and the exhaust valve will at the saine time opento permit the escape of the gases, the lifting of the valve taking placewhen the cam forces tht lower rod l1 upwardly, this upward movementbeing transmitted through the spacing block to the upper rod, which inturn lifts the rocker arm and opens the valve.

The valve will in this manner be completely open when the piston assumesits highest position, thus permitting a complete scavenging of thecylinder. It will, however, close the moment scavenging has taken place,as the drop in pressure within the c linder will permit the spring 24 toswino tliie arm 18 back to pull the spacing bloc away from its positionbetween the rods.- The spring 32 on the exhaust valve will thus closethe valve and force the rocker arm and upper rod back to normal osition.The downward movement of the piston will then open tHe inlet valve bysuction and thereby draw in a new charge which will again be compressedand the cycle of operation repeated.

The importance of the present mechanism can readily be a preciated whenthe following results obtaine are considered: First of all,it permitsthe exhaust valve to be opened and closed without employing a cam shaftand drivingr ears. Secondly, it permits the exhaust va ve to remaincompletely open until the piston has reached its uppermost position,thereby causing a more complete scavenging of the c linder than canotherwise take place. Third, it permits the application of`a simpleignition mechanism; and fourth, it can readily be seen that a unichcheaper, more easily aptplied and foolproof mechanism is permitte thanwduld otherwise be the case.

A simple form of governor may also be employed, such as is generallyindicated at 40, and I also wishit understood that' 'the materials andfinish of the several parts may be such as the judgment and experienceof the manufacturer may dictate.

I further wish it understood that various changes in the form,proportions and minor details of construction may he resorted to withinthe scope of the appended claims,

and that I do not wish to limit myself t5 the specic design andconstruction here shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLettersPat ent is:

l. In an internal combustion engine?, ai rotatable chin, spaced lifterrods slidablyiV mounted and opega'ble by the cam, an arm pivoted at oneend to one lifter rod and extending alongside the latter, a spacingblock carried by the opposite end of the arm for swinging from and fo'aposition between the opposiig ends of theI lifter rods, and pressure coitrolled means for swinging the: arm.

2. The combination with the exhaust valve on an internal combustionengine, the crank shaft and piston, of a cam rotatable by the shaft,means o erable by the cam to control 35 the exhaust va ve and includinga lifter element having a part removable to render said meansinoperative, a switch controlled by said part to open and close theignition s stern of the engine, and pressure control ed means arrangedfor uninterrupted communication with the compression chamber of theengine cylinder for replacing the removable art in said lifter element.

3. lie combination with the exhaust valve on an internal combustionengine, the crank shaft and piston, of a cam rotatable by the shaft,means operable by the cam to control the exhaust valve and includingspaced lifter elements and a spacing block insertible between the lifterelements to operatively cont nect the same, pressure controlled meanscommunicating with the compression cham` ber of the engine for insertingthe block between the lifter elements, a pair of contacts included inthe ignition system of4 the engine, onev contact carried by one elementand the other contact carried'by'.the block for opening and closing thecircuit.

4. The combination with the exhaust lvalve t on an internal combustionengine, the crank shaft and piston, of a cam rotatable by the shaft,means operable by the cam to control kthe exhaust valve and includingspaced lifter rods slidably mounted, a spacing block ivotally carried byone rod for swinging ietween the rods to operatively connect the same,pressure controlled means for swinging the block communicating with thecompression chamber of the engine, Vand' gov-120 ernor means having apart engageable with one.of the lifter rods to arrest the same. i

5. The combination with the exhaust.valve oii an internal combustionengine, the crank shaft and piston,l ofv a cani rotatable by the shaft,means operable by the `cam to control the exhaust valve and includingspaced lifter rods slidably mounted, a spacing block pivotally carriedby one rod for swinging between the rods to operatively connect thesame, pressure confroiled means for swinging the block communicatingwith the compression chamber of the engine, one lifrer rod having :1notch, und a governor for the engine having n part engngeable in the rodnotch to hold the rod positioned to preven the block being inserted.

6. The combination with The exhaust vulve on an internal eon'lbuslionengine, the crank shaft and piston, of :1 cuni rotatable by the shaft,menus operable by the cam to con- Jtl'ol the exhaust valve und includingspaced lifter rods slidubly mounted, a spacing block pivotally carriedby one rod for swinging between the rods fo operatively connect thesome, pressure controlled means for swingin;lr the block communicaingwith the compression chamber of iie engine, and u switch included in theignition system of the engine und adapted to be opened and closed 'bysaid pi Lire conroled means.

.wy 'si'hereof IV lune hereunto set iii-e presence of two subscribing J.M. BROWN, J. L. oAT.

Witnesses.

